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Document
Processiiiz
Center
(
7407) '
(Attn: Section S( e ) coordinator)
Office of Toxic Substances
US Environmental Protection Agent!
401 rV1 Street, SLV
Washington, DC 20460
Re: TSCA 8(e) NOTICE For: Acute Toxicity Honey Bee Studies on Perfluorooctane Sulfonate, potassium salt, C.4Sff 2795-39-3
Dear Sir:
3M is submitting the results from recent oral and contact acute toxicity tests performed with 1-octanesulfonic acid, 1,l .2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,8-heptadecafluoro-,potassisuamlt (CAS
No. 2795-39-3)- commonly referred to as PFOS - on honey bees. The two studies were
performed by Central Science Laboratory (CSL), Sand Hutton York YO41 ILZ, UK.
The contact toxicity test involved painting the bees with various concentrations of PFOS and
observing the bees for 96 hours. The results of this study show that the 96 hour Contact LD50 was 59.7mg,Kg of body weight (4.78pg./bee) with a NOEL of 24.1mg/Kg ( 1.93 pg./bee). Under both the classification scheme developed by Atkins et a1 (1977) (contact
only) and the classification scheme for the International Commission for Bee Botany (ICCB) (1985)(oral and contact), this contact LD50 would be classified as "moderately toxic".
The oral toxicity test was performed by feeding sucrose solutions containing PFOS to bees
for a period of four hours and observing them for 72 hours. The oral LD50 was calculated to be SmgKg of body weight (0.4 p.g/bee) and the NOEL 2.6mg/Kg (0.21 pgl'bee). Under the ICCB classification scheme, this oral LD50 would be classified as "highly toxic".
3 M is not aware of any TSCA 8(e) guidance directly applicable to the reporting of honey bee acute toxicity tests, but is submitting this information as a precautionary measure. Based on all available data, 3 M has no reason to believe that the levels of PFOS potentially available for honey bee exposure in the environment would approach the LD50 levels observed in these tests.
Copies of the two test reports are attached. Please contact Dale Bacon, technical director, Environmental Laboratory, 651-778-4736,for further information.
Enciosmes
Docunienr Processing Center (7407) (Attn: Section S(e) Corrdinator) Office of Toxic Sabstances US Environmental Protection Agency PageNo. 2 May 1, 2001
bc: 8e Committee S. -4.Beach - 2-3E-09 F. J. Palensky - 220-13W-38